Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Animal Health Certificates on the cost of taking pets abroad.

On 22 April the EU brought in new rules affecting those travelling with their pets from third countries such as Great Britain into the EU. Defra officials have engaged with the European Commission to understand how they are being implemented, and how this impacts those travelling from Great Britain to the EU. Updated guidance is now available on GOV.UK, and any future updates will be published on the relevant pages.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. Instead of the current process of getting an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) each time they travel, pet owners will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU. Until an agreement with the EU is reached, owners will still need an AHC for their dog, cat or ferret(s) if they are travelling from GB (England, Wales and Scotland) to an EU country.

Animal Health Certificates are issued by Official Veterinarians in Great Britain. Fees are set by veterinary surgeons or veterinary practices and are a private matter between individual practices and their clients and neither the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the UK regulator of the veterinary profession, nor Defra intervene in the level of fees that are charged.